


Just Dex

by kirani



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Coming Out, Fluff, NB!Dex, Non-binary character, Other, Pan!Nursey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-05 01:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16358003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirani/pseuds/kirani
Summary: Dex.There was something about the name that just felt so right. They’ve gone by it on the hockey team since high school but at school they were still Will.At Samwell? They could be Dex.-In which Dex is non-binary and finally figures out how to say it aloud.





	Just Dex

**Author's Note:**

> Okay this is a bit self-insert honestly except I’m coming at it from an afab angle so if something doesn’t make sense sorry. I just have a lot of feeling about non-binary Dex.  
> Everyone is wonderful and supportive in this, no angst to be seen. Just let nb people be happy.

Dex.

There was something about the name that just felt so right. They’ve gone by it on the hockey team since high school but at school they were still Will.

At Samwell? They could be Dex.

Most days they were okay with not being out. They were proud of their body, it was strong and tall and protected their friends on the ice. It was a good body. And most days they could handle it being read as male.

Some days, though, the male pronouns grated against them. They dug fingernails into Dex’s skin and refused to let go. Everything in them screamed “wrong!” but they couldn’t ever make themself say the words they needed to.

Dex was fairly sure that they would face no issues coming out. The team as a whole was great at respecting pronouns and names of people of all genders. It was just that voice in their head that told them to keep their head down, don’t cause trouble, that kept them from saying anything.

But Dex was doing alright. They had good friends who called them by a name they loved, were doing well in school, and were playing great hockey.

It only really became a problem when Nursey kissed them.

Not that the kissing was a problem. The kissing was great. But the kissing made it very necessary to talk. And to label. And mostly, it shifted things between them and Nursey.

“Will, babe, come look at this cat.”

Dex tried not to flinch but clearly Nursey saw it because his face fell immediately.

“What’s wrong?”

“Please don’t call me that,” Dex replied.

“Babe? Okay,” Nursey answered.

“Um,” Dex paused, trying to figure out how to say what they needed to. “No, babe is fine. Great, even. But please don’t call me Will.”

“Oh,” Nursey said. “Can I ask why?”

“I like Dex,” they said.

“Okay, it just seems weird to call my boyfriend by his hockey nickname,” Nursey countered, and Dex flinched again.

“I thought we could use ‘partner’ actually.”

Nursey studied him.

“Babe what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Dex lied.

Nursey got up from where he was sprawled on the bottom bunk and crossed their shared room to where Dex was sitting in the desk chair. He took Dex’s hands in his own.

“Talk to me? Please?”

Dex looked up and saw Nursey’s eyes, pleading and confused, and they caved.

“I don’t like Will because it’s a boy’s name and I’m not a boy.”

“Okay,” Nursey said. “Should I, um, use different pronouns?”

“I,” Dex began, stuttering. “Really?”

“Yes really,” Nursey squeezed their hands. “You’re my partner. I want you to be comfortable.”

“I — I like they/them,” Dex said in a rush.

“Thank you for trusting me with this,” Nursey smiled softly. “And just Dex? Or is there another name?”

“Dex is good,” they said. “I like Dex.”

“Okay then,” Nursey smiled wider. “Anything else I should know?”

Dex shook their head.

“I’ve never actually said that aloud.”

“Which part?”

“Any of it?” Dex took a deep breath. “I have some friends online who use they/them for me but I’ve never told anyone in person. Out loud.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Good,” Dex sighed. “Really fucking good. Shit. I —“

Nursey waited patiently, and Dex tried to sort out everything that was running through their head.

“I’m non-binary. My pronouns are they/them and my name is Dex.”

Nursey grinned at them. “Feel good?”

“Feels so good you have no idea,” Dex grinned back. “Kiss me?”

“Gladly,” Nursey agreed, and climbed into Dex’s lap.

After that, the idea of coming out, of being known by their closest friends, got loud enough to almost drown out that other voice. Until one day it won.

“Nursey why do you still call Dex ‘Dex’? I kinda figured you guys would start using first names.” Chowder asked one afternoon in the library.

Nursey looked at them instead of answering and that voice finally shut up under the gaze of Derek Nurse, who accepted them just the way they were.

“I asked him to,” they told Chowder. “I’m non-binary. And I asked him to use Dex.”

“Oh!” Chowder gasped. “I’m so sorry, Dex, I didn’t know!”

“It’s okay, C, I didn’t tell you. I haven’t really told anyone. Just you two, now.”

“Cool!” Chowder smiled, then pulled a very solemn face. “Thank you for trusting me with this moment.”

“You’re my best friend,” Dex said in reply.

Chowder grinned brightly.

That night, when Dex was curled up with Nursey in bed, they whispered, “I wanna come out to the team.”

Nursey just hugged them tight.

The team had questions, of course, when Dex offered after their brief explanation. Well, Tango had questions. Dex did their best to answer.

Yes, Dex is still their preferred name.

Yes, they prefer they/them pronouns.

No, they aren’t trans. Though some non-binary people are.

No, they wouldn’t be taking hormones.

No, they didn’t want to tell the coaches or professors just yet.

He clearly had more questions — because he always did — but thankfully Bitty stepped in and led him away, softly explaining that he could educate himself just as well and Bitty would gladly lend him some books.

Nothing really changed on the team. The boys never called him anything besides Dex anyways, but they all quickly shifted to the proper pronouns and Dex felt themself finally relax into their place on the team fully. They hadn’t realized just how validating that one little word could be.

Then came their family. They were desperate to go home for the holidays and were excited to bring Nursey to Maine, but they were nervous.

They went back and forth constantly about what to do. They could ask Nursey to use he/him pronouns while they were there, but they had gotten so used to being properly gendered that they didn’t know if they could handle a whole week of it, especially not from Nursey. But were they ready to come out to their family? Were they ready to step into the role of educator that they knew their family would need? They weren’t sure.

By the time they were driving north with Nursey beside them, they still hadn’t decided. Nursey brought it up about halfway through the drive when they stopped at a diner for lunch.

“Your family,” he started, then paused, searching for words.

“I haven’t told them,” Dex confirmed. “I’ve been going back and forth for weeks. I don’t know what to do.”

“I can avoid pronouns,” Nursey offered. “I’m very good at the pronoun game.”

Dex knew he had played a fair bit of it while at Andover, because being one of very few students of color was hard enough without being out to the student body as pansexual. But it still felt like a step backwards.

“You don’t have to be ready for this,” Nursey assured them. “Coming out doesn’t have to be all or nothing.”

“I am ready,” Dex said, suddenly feeling the decision click into place. “I just don’t know how.”

“If I can help,” Nursey offered. “I’m here for you.”

Dex squeezed Nursey’s hand in thanks.

In the end it just tumbled out.

Their mom was asking about how living at the Haus was going and they said the first thing that came to mind.

“I came out to the team and they were all really supportive.”

Their mom’s eyes flicked to Nursey and back to Dex.

“I figured, given you’re dating a teammate,” she said slowly, not following.

“Not that,” Dex shook their head. “I came out as non-binary.”

“Oh,” she said, surprise registering on her face before morphing into confusion. “I don’t know what that means.”

“For me it means I’m not a guy or a girl. I’m just Dex. And I asked them to use they/them pronouns and they were all really great about it.”

“That’s great, honey,” their mom said. “Do you want me to do that?”

Dex nodded. Their mom smiled. Dex smiled back. Nursey squeezed their knee under the kitchen table.

They were gonna be alright.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought? I’m also on tumblr at willdexpoindexter


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